


Metanoia

by RyuRan2200



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:55:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29946186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RyuRan2200/pseuds/RyuRan2200
Summary: Needing a change of pace, Gothica Seraph moves from his home to a reclusive and closed off world, a world that greatly resembles his own Astral World except for one detail: it's composed of a single city with a strict set of rules. There, he meets and befriends Agent 12, a cold but kind-hearted being who is in need of some stress relief.DarkAgentShipping (Agent 12/Astral x Gothica Seraph)
Relationships: Astral x OC
Kudos: 1





	Metanoia

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally a rp between me and my friend Peppermint-Whiskers but I know her as Chibi but she made this story out of our rp. It took her about a week to edit the whole story which is 10,498 words long. When you see anything in italics that means a character is thinking to themselves. The Worlds of Purity and Corruption belong to Chibi as well as Black Mist, one of the Eliphas, the Light Forces and all of the Agents. And thanks you AstaOrpheusN4sh of Witer's Amino for the story title suggestion.

Gothica starts packing some of his belongings to move out of Barain World. He and his brothers own a mansion down in the underworld, but he would rather stay in the mortal world to live. After packing everything he would need, he makes a transport circle to a random world. As it happens, he appears in what looks to be Astral World. The only difference is that he can see the edges of this city, punctuated by writhing darkness beyond what could only be described as a membranous barrier. Without really thinking about it, he takes the form of a human and hides all his chaotic energy so as not to scare anyone. After all, chaos tends to frighten people.

The people, a mixture of different sentient beings with none of them really having chaos, take notice of him as soon as he arrives. Gothica is greeted with smiles and several people saying "welcome." An overall warm greeting, and it's definitely nice to be welcomed. He greets them back as kindly as they did him.

He explores the city for a bit. While the darkness is very much visible, it's still far away. The buildings around him are built to be tall, something he'd seen on Valkyria before. Still, before he truly explores, he wants to settle down. "Excuse me, can you tell me where I must go?" Gothica asks anyone that's around him.

A woman replies, "Well that depends on where you need to go."

"I would like to become a business owner."

"Ah! Then you would need to go to city hall. Would you like me to take you there?"

"Yes please, and thank you for your assistance."

"You're welcome," the woman says. She leads Gothica to a somewhat smaller building than the others around it. Right behind it is a tower, one identical to the one Gothica is familiar with.

After thanking the woman, Gothica bids her farewell and goes into city hall. Like a normal office space, there is a secretary's desk right across from the door with three smiling secretaries. The room is large and spacious, with chairs littering the floor and people hustling and bustling to do their work.

"Excuse me," Gothica says once he reaches the front desk.

One of the secretaries looks up from her computers, a smile on her face. "Hello! How can I help you today?"

"I would like to become a business owner."

If it's possible, the secretary smiles brighter. "Excellent! I'll just need you to register as an occupant here. As well as fill out this form." She hands Gothica a form, which looks like a transparent piece of paper. The words on it scroll by at the touch of a finger. Really, it's more of a see-through tablet that acts like paper. As he scrolls through, Gothica sees spaces asking him the purpose of his building, the name of the building, and the area of occupation. Two signatures are needed right at the bottom. One reads business owner, and the other reads assisting agent.

"This last part here will have to be filled out by a real estate agent," the secretary says as he's reading over the form. "I can set you up with one now. I'll need their form back in a week, but you can bring it back before then if your get it done sooner."

"Thank you," Gothica says. He takes the stylus handed to him and starts filling out the form while the secretary talks to someone on the phone. Just as he's finished filling out the business purpose, healing and relaxation, another person comes from one of the many branching halls.

The person who greets Gothica smiles. It's not as bright as the secretary's, but it still makes Gothica feel welcomed. "Hello my name is Solas," the person says. "How can I help you today?"

"I'm Gothica. I'm looking for a large place that I can both live and work at."

Solas looks over their notes to make sure there's a space that will fit Gothica's desire. They hum, pleased. "Well you're in luck, we have a place like that. If you'll follow me you can look it over to see if it's to your liking."

Gothica nods and follows the real estate agent. He's lead to a series of building each one being tall. Some are taller than others, and those are obviously meant to be apartment complexes. The shorter ones look like stores under living areas. Solas makes sure to show Gothica a variety. Eventually Gothica settles on a building that has more room downstairs then upstairs.

"Alright I just need you to sign here," Solas says, nodding in approval.

Gothica easily signs in the language native to this world. He's able to do so after seeing sights around near the buildings he was looking at.

"Congratulations you're new the owner," Solas says happily. "Seeing as you're new here there are some things you should know. We don't use money here so you don't have to worry about paying taxes or getting a profit. If you need anything there are stores stocked with enough supplies for everyone. You also don't have to worry about paying for supplies either."

"Thanks for the info," Gothica replies.

"Well good luck with your business." Solas smiles one last time and leaves.

Gothica gets to work setting everything up for the business and filling out the rest of the form. After getting everything setup inside and the form filled out, Gothica gets to work on making a sign that says "The Healing Lotus." With the sign done Gothica heads back to city hall to turn in his form. Once he's done with all the paperwork he'll hang his sign outside. The secretary takes the form and wishes him good luck, and Gothica returns home and hangs up his sign.

As Gothica goes about his business, one of the Light Agents, Agent 20, is walking around the streets. This is her way of relaxing after a long and hard mission. The last mission required all of the Agents to go to one world, chasing down a particularly strong and dangerous corrupted being that was certain to corrupt any world she touched. Agent 20 shivers because the world they went to came very close to being corrupted and some of the other Agents were also close to being corrupted. Most of them are in the medical building right now.

Along her walk, Agent 20 takes notice that one of the unused buildings is now being occupied and watches from afar just to see. She sees what she can only assume is a newly-dead person whose energy was pure enough to end up here working on putting up a sign. The Healing Lotus, it says. Agent 20 smiles a bit and continues on her walk.

A few days after setting up, a few people come in to see what the business is about. Gothica is more the happy to help the people that come in and asks how he can help them. Eventually word of the business gets out to the Agents and 20 is the first one to come since she noticed it first.

"Hello?" 20 says as she enters the building.

"What can I help you with young lady?" Gothica says coming out of the back. He's still dressed in his usual Victorian style gothic clothes.

20 notices his odd sense in style but doesn't comment on it. She's seen weirder. "Is this the place everyone goes to relax?" she asks with a teasing smile on her face.

"Yes. What seems to be bothering you?"

"Oh, too many things. Tell me, in your time here have you heard of the Light Agents?"

"I have not. Is that some kind of police force?"

"Yes, a police force specialized in dealing with inside and outside threats. Namely corrupted beings. We chase them down then lock them up. We deal with anything that endangers our city." She smiles, but it isn't the same smile Gothica is used to seeing from people here. It's a little more strained. "You can imagine the kind of stress that can put on a person."

"Indeed, but I know just the thing to help with that. If you'll follow me." Gothica walks to the back, expecting 20 to follow.

20 follows him, looking around curiously but discreetly. She's lead to a room with a few chars and pillows on the floor. The room has cool color fabrics decorating it as well as the scent of lavender. 20 can't help but be reminded of the meditation room in the building the Light Agents share. The only difference is that this room is cozier.

 _Maybe it'll have a different effect?_ 20 thinks to herself.

"Take a seat where ever you like," Gothica says as he goes to get some herbs.

Agent 20 sits down on one of the pillows and waits for Gothica. She watches him with mild interest. Depending on how this goes she might recommend this to the other Agents.

Gothica uses a bit of his own magic on the herbs to bring out the magical effect of them. Using scent to being out a deeper calm. Agent 20 takes a deep breath and stars to feel calmer, like in meditation but deeper.

"Do you mind being touched?" Gothica asks softly.

"I don't mind," 20 replies just as softly.

Gothica goes to sit behind her. "This might feel a bit odd since not a lot of people know about these pressure points, but it will help and you shouldn't feel any pain." He begins with rubbing her shoulders then her back before hitting the pressure points softly.

20 sighs and relaxes. She's familiar with this technique, and the familiarity makes it easy to just enjoy this.

"Now close your eyes and imagine a beautiful oasis with crystal clear water. All your friends are there, having fun and encouraging you to join them."

She does this, imagining herself on one of the worlds they've been deployed to. It was one of the nicer ones.

 _She has untapped power. With the way her job is, she'll need all the power she can get_ , Gothica thinks to himself and gently taps the back of her neck as well as temples to release the hidden power within that would take her some time to bring out on her own.

20 feels her power suddenly surge and tamps down on it, furrowing her bow. She doesn't know why her power suddenly surged.

After about an hour or so the session is over.

"We're all done," Gothica says.

"Thank you. May I ask what happened during the session?"

"Let's just say you'll see an improvement in your power."

She nods and smiles "You do your work well." She's definitely going to tell the other Agents about this.

"Thank you, do you have any other questions?"

"Would you mind if I told my teammates?" 20 asks playfully.

"Not at all and you're welcome to come back anytime."

"Thank you," she says and gets up to leave to go tell the other Agents.

Gothica goes to clean up the store a bit after she leaves.

Eventually the Agents start coming as well in between missions. Not all of them but almost half come over from time to time. Like he did will 20, Gothica helps release some power that would take some time to come out on its own. The Agents thank him and the other Agents that haven't come start coming around, except Agent 12. Usually the Agents come after missions but they also come around sometimes if they have downtime. Gothica does his best to help lower their stress when he's called upon.

After a visit with his brother and a particularly stressful mission Astral, also known as Agent 12, goes to The Healing Lotus that he's heard so much about. He comes into the store silently and just looks around.

"Can I help you?" Gothica says calmly coming out of the back.

Astral appears to be very calm on the outside, so he doesn't look like he needs much help. Still he readjusts the cloak he's wearing and fidgets with the hem.

"I've heard about this place from my teammates. They seem to hold you in high regards," Astral says.

"I just put forth my best effort to help those that need it," Gothica replies.

"I'd like to see this in person, if you don't mind."

"Then follow me." He leads 12 to the back.

Astral follows him in silence for a while. "What kind of services do you provide here?" he eventually asks just to break the silence

"The basic healing and stress relief."

"I see. And you're the only one who does this?"

"Yes, I don't have any employees. I like to do everything myself."

Astral nods and stays silent for the rest of the time he follows Gothica. They come to one of the open back rooms.

"You can sit anywhere you like."

Instead of sitting on something comfortable, Astral opts for just sit hovering like he would if he were meditating. It's more comfortable and familiar to him.

"You don't mind being touched do you?" Gothica asks as he crushes up some calming herbs to being out their affects.

"No, I don't mind at all," Astral says. In fact, he actually craves touch. The kind of craving that lets him know that his brother Black Mist is still alive and well. Whenever he sees his brother, he's always scared that the sleeping gas has accidentally killed him or that he died in his sleep.

Gothica starts off the session the same way he did with the other Agents, only he hits more calming pressure points with Astral then he did with the others. Astral doesn't expect to relax so easily; it actually surprises him, causing him to fall from his hovering position and fall onto a pillow that is below him.

"You okay?" Gothica asks, a bit surprised as well.

"I'm okay," Astral says then mentally yells at himself. _What's wrong with me!?_

"Relax and try to picture an oasis with crystal clear water," Gothica says softly. He hides his concern well, but he can't help but notice how closely linked 12's emotions are to his power. _Releasing it could cause a mental breakdown._

Astral nods and takes a deep breath to calm himself down, keeping his visit to Black Mist at the back of his mind. Gothica goes back to hitting the pressure points, just not as quickly.

Astral groans a bit, feeling the tension in his body relax. He hadn't even realized that he was this wound up. Gothica releases all the stress that he can but there's still a bit of stress that Astral just can't seem to let go of.

"I've done all I can but there's still a bit of stress that you can't seem to let go of."

Astral smiles tightly looking resigned. "There are some stressors that can't be massaged away I'm afraid."

"But they can be managed. Wait here, I have something that might be able to help," Gothica says and gets up, leaving the room to get something.

Astral fiddles with his cloak again as he waits. Gothica comes back a few minutes later with a small bag.

"Here these should help you, just don't go eating them like candy. Your teammates might think something's wrong with you if you do that."

"What is it?" Astral takes the bag carefully.

"They're calming crystals, they help deal with extreme stress."

Astral nods, internally relieved to have something to help deal with this. "Thank you, I'll be sure not to misuse them." He smiles, and it's a little softer than before.

"I'll be here if you any other help." Gothica gives Agent 12 a reassuring smile.

Astral nods again and leaves, going back to the Agents home. He doesn't use the crystals today. Gothica closes his store for today and goes up to his room and smiles.

"Ah he's just like Dumon use to be," he murmurs to himself.

The very next day a dangerous corrupted being escapes from the Prison. Everyone's in a panic about it because the being hasn't left the world. He's hiding around and everyone is scared of being corrupted. All of the Agents are out on the streets using all their resources to hunt the being down. Gothica, on the other hand, doesn't show any sign of worry and stays in his home.

A flash of corruption ripples through Astral's senses. Turning in that direction, he can tell that it's coming from The Healing Lotus. Gothica's place. Anticipating the possible danger, Astral sneaks into The Healing Lotus. But what he find shocks him. Gothica has the corrupted being asleep, having used his calming techniques. The shock quickly wears off of Astral and he weaves a net around the being. He turns to face Gothica and when he does he seems like he's a completely different person then the one that came the day before. Right now Astral is in mission mode meaning his emotions have been temporary removed.

"Thank you for the help but I can take it from here," Astral says. "Get yourself to safety before you become corrupted." Gothica just nods and leaves, but he knows he can't be corrupted since he's really a demon in disguise.

Astral goes ahead and takes the corrupted being outside through a nearby window. As soon as he's outside, though, the corrupted being breaks free of the net. He knocks Astral into the building and runs off. However before he could get too far, the rest of the Agents catch the corrupted being and take him back to the Prison.

After this, the Prison goes through a culling, where the most dangerous prisoners waiting for execution are killed immediately. Astral is completely stressed the entire day, hoping that his brother Black Mist doesn't get killed. He ends up taking one of the crystals Gothica gave him in the hopes of calming down. It does its job and calms Astral down for a few hours. During those few hours, he keeps tabs on who dies and who doesn't. He breathes a sigh of relief when Black Mist isn't picked, and he can almost forget about the culling.

Since the incident that happened, all Gothica hears about from the people who come in is the culling. The culling talk makes him feel a bit uncomfortable but he keeps to himself about it. The people are obviously uncomfortable about it as well, but there's also a bit of a relief as well. When the day comes to an end everyone feels a little safer.

 _I'd better be careful, one wrong move and they'll find out that I'm a dark being too._ Gothica thinks to himself.

Astral comes by later to see Gothic because the crystal wore off and he's feeling the residual stress coming on.

"Back again I see," Gothic says as Astral comes into the store.

Astral nods stiffly. "Today wasn't exactly a relaxing day."

"The let me try and fix that." Gothica motions for him to come to the back.

Astral follows him to the back. He keeps himself from shaking too hard after having feared for Mist's safety after the effects of the crystal wore off. He didn't take another one after the first one because of what Gothica warned him about.

"Same stress as before?" Gothica asks

"It's a little worse than before," Astral replies. "I took one of the crystals when it became too much for me to handle."

"Maybe taking two or three crystals might help. You just can't take so many all at once, but two or three won't hurt in a single sitting."

Astral nods. "Thank you for the advice."

"That's what I'm here for," Gothica says, giving Astral a small soft smile. Astral smiles back at him, already feeling a bit more relaxed now that he's here. "Now let's see what I can do about your stress."

Astral nods and sits on a pillow this time so he doesn't accidentally fall again. Gothica gets behind him and slowly starts hitting his pressure points.

Astral just closes his eyes and focuses on the firm massage, soon melting under Gothica's touch. Gothica keeps hitting the pressure points until Astral falls asleep. Astral tries not to fall asleep but eventually does. He ends up tipping forward a little, and Gothica keeps him from falling forward. He makes a heated mat appear under him and Astral. Gently, he lays Astral down on the mat and places one of the other pillows in the room under his head. He also uses one of the many fabrics sheets in the room as blanket and covers Astral with it. Astral cuddles into the sheets as the day's stress finally wears away.

Gothica leaves him to rest and goes to take inventory of his supplies in another room. Astral wakes up a few hours later. While he would normally be alarmed at waking up anywhere other than his own bed, unless he was on a mission. He feels oddly comfortable and safe. He sits up and looks around for Gothica, who is just coming back to check on him.

"I see someone's finally awake now," Gothica says.

"I'm very sorry about that," Astral replies sheepishly. "Um, how long was I asleep?"

"It's not a problem. You were out for about three to four hours."

Any other day, Astral would be terrified because that would throw off his whole schedule. But today is a free day because of the unusual circumstance, so he nods.

"Thank you for this."

"You're always welcome here."

Feeling safe and relaxed, Astral genuinely smiles at Gothica, and for a while he can forget his troubles. Gothica tries to get to know 12 without asking him anything personal. Over the next few days Astral spends time with Gothica, even working it into his schedule along with visits to his brother. During his visits he tells Gothica about his job and how sometimes it can be dangerous, but he doesn't tell him any specifics. Like how he gets some memories taken before missions and how he can't really be in a relationship with anyone. At this point, Astral doesn't see himself really being in a relationship, not now and not ever. Gothica listens to him and always looks forward to when he comes by for a visit.

Astral comes by one day after a mission, but not because he feels stressed. He simply likes being around. "Are you busy?" he asks Gothica, a smile on his face.

"No, but you're welcome to stay for a while if you want." Gothica smiles back at him.

"Gladly," Astral says and heads into the back. This is honestly the happiest he's been since becoming an Agent.

Gothica follows him into the back. "I see your mood has improved."

"I'm always happy when I visit you."

"That's good, I enjoy you're company whenever you come by for a visit."

Astral smiles and sits down. "Have...have I told you about my brother yet?"

Gothica sits beside him. "No you haven't."

"Well I suppose I should start with the fact that he's a corrupted being. He's not dead yet thankfully. But... it's only a matter of time."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not unless you know how to get him out without him lashing out." Astral smiles ruefully.

"If there was a way to help you I would do it, you're my best friend even if I don't know your name." He looks a bit upset that he can't help Astral.

Astral becomes a little sad at Gothica being a bit upset but then smiles a mischievous smile. "You know, it's not illegal for me to tell you my name. I just have to be selective."

"Why must you keep your name hidden to begin with?"

"To avoid curses and hexes. Some dark being here, the ones we've been catching lately, specialize in those and they usually require names. So we keep our names hidden since we're their main targets."

"I see."

Astral lowers his voice. "People here know me as Agent 12, but my name is Astral."

"What a lovely name. I'm Gothica Seraph," Gothica whispers back.

Astral smiles at that and blushes a bit. "Your name is nice too."

"Thanks, I'm the youngest of three triplets."

"Where's your family now?" Astral asks, assuming that Gothica died because he doesn't look like he was born in the World of Purity.

"Back home in Valkyria," Gothica lies, but he doesn't want Astral to know he's part Barian or a demon.

"Was that your old home?"

"I guess you can say that."

Astral nods then fidgets with his cloak. After all the visits he's come to value Gothica as a friend. He feels like he can't stand to live without him just like Mist. But it's also different from caring about a brother, but he's not sure about his feelings.

"Is something bothering you?" Gothica asks, seeing Astral fidget.

"No, noting really. I was just thinking about how I enjoy being here with you. I've never enjoyed anyone's company as much."

"Well I try to make it a welcoming environment," Gothica says looking away from Astral with a blush. _What's wrong with me right now?_ he mentally asks himself.

"It's not just the environment." Astral kind of blushes again but looks down before Gothica can see it.

"What else is there that can draw people here?"

"Well you're a calming person to be around," Astral says. His thoughts are a litany of _Don't get attached, don't get attached, don't get attached!_

"My oldest brother use to have a lot of problems, so I know how to keep calm in stressful situations."

"Is he doing better?"

"Yes, he found a nice man to settle down with."

"I'm happy for him." Astral wants this for himself but he knows that's impossible.

"As am I," Gothica says, and he accidentally puts his hand over Astral's. And even though he knows he shouldn't get attached, Astral doesn't move his hand away. "You know, I look forward to you coming over. I see many people come by my shop but you stand out among everyone that has come here."

Astral smiles and blushes at this. "I'm glad you enjoy my company."

"I'll admit that I'm not very social and I don't leave the house unless I have to. So having someone that enjoys coming over means a lot."

Astral really desperately wants to hug Gothica but manages to control himself. Still, his hands fidget.

Gothica notices and raises a brow. "Am I bothering you in some way? You seem to be fidgeting a lot."

Astral immediately stops fidgeting. "O-oh not at all. It's just a thing I do sometimes."

"Just out of curiosity, how did you use to deal with your stress before I came here?"

"Making time for meditation every day. It helped a bit but I didn't realize that touch was a better cure for it."

"I was worried that you did what my brother use to do."

"I'm assuming it wasn't good?"

"No it wasn't. But I can still remember the day he got married and stopped."

"I'm happy for him."

"Yeah, but I guess he's helped me as well. Now I can try to help others who may be going through the same problems he went through."

"Well you're already helping me."

"Well that's my goal, to help others in any way that I can."

"I'm sure you'll do well," Astral says then looks at the time and is disappointed to find that he has to go to training. "I've gotta go."

"I'll see you later then, have fun."

Astral nods and returns home. He trains harder than before in an attempt to forget his crush, but the thought won't leave him alone. Once Astral leaves Gothica smiles in a somewhat dark way.

"I think it's time to pay a little visit to this Prison~"

By the time Gothica gets to the Prison, it's at what is known as "down time." This is the time when the guard shift rotates, so if anyone is going to sneak in or out, now would be the time. Gothica sneaks out of his house cloaking himself with his magic to get to the Prison. The Prison looks like an apartment complex but the windows on the doors show that it's anything but that. The Prisoners are well taken care of, but it's still clear that they are prisoners.

 _Now where's the control room?_ Gothica asks himself.

The control room is much deeper in, making it harder to sneak around. To make things worse, the next shift will arrive soon. With a smirk and not being scared at all, Gothica goes in deeper. Using more of his advanced magic to move around undetected. The control room eventually comes into view between two prison rooms. No one's in the control room right now but surveillance screen are set up to keep watch over the Prisoners.

With a devilish smirk, Gothica goes right up to the control room, his magic keeping him hidden from the screens. He hacks into the system as quickly as he can and downloads every file he can get his hands on. And by the time anyone realizes that someone hacked the system Gothica is long gone.

However, no one but Eliphas takes notices that the control room has been hacked. He honestly misses the chaos and excitement too much to say anything. Besides he only answers to himself and not the Light Forces.

Once home, Gothica looks over the files he stole while Astral visits his brother after training. The files that Gothica stole are pretty straightforward. There's nothing damning about most of the Prisoners, just the justification that they need to keep the balance and that they will be given a humane death. There are also files on the Agents, though none of them have their names listed. When he gets to the file labeled 12, it states that Astral is "emotionally unstable" and requires "constant monitoring during missions." It also mentions Astral's brother Black Mist, who has his own file. This one is unlike the others because it states that Black Mist might be from the 96 bloodline, an incredibly dangerous lineage that needs to be eradicated at once. It also states that the only reason Black Mist is still alive is because of Astral.

"This must be the stress that Astral can't get rid of," Gothica mutters as he reads over Astral and Black Mist's files. Black Mist's files list his medical history, including the number of times he's needed to be gassed. Coincidentally, they're exactly the same as the number of times Astral has visited. They also note his violent outbursts which have been getting worse lately. Astral's files lists him as starting recruitment from a very young age and becoming an Agent later in life. While he's very bright and a brilliant problem solver, his emotions usually get in the way, so he's required to go through a "procedure" before and after every mission. Both files have pictures of them. Black Mist's pictures show either a glazed gaze or an absolutely feral person while Astral's pictures are rather contrasting. Some show a cold calculating machine of a person, and some show the person that Gothica has seen.

"This is bad. Astral will most certainly become suicidal if his brother is put to death. I better plan a way to get Black Mist out of that Prison before Astral does the unthinkable," Gothica says.

By this time night has fallen and everyone is going to bed, all but Gothica. He's busy gathering supplies that he'll use to get Black Mist out of the Prison at his time of execution. He gets Astraliet from the Astral World back home to make keys to get into the cell and unlock the chains. Then some dark crystals which will be used to make a crystal clone of Black Mist that was resemble him in every way, from his personally to the feel of his dark energy.

"The only thing I need now is a computer virus to disable the security screens and door sensors," Gothica says. "And I know just the person to go to for that."

Astral goes to sleep that night like everyone else but has Gothica on his mind. The very thought that Gothica enjoys his company brings him so much joy that he buries his face and his pillow and giggles. However when he realizes the weight of this, he becomes solemn again.

"We can't be together and if we are..." Astral whispers to him as he hugs his pillow tighter, trying not to think about the consequences.

The next day Gothica sneaks out and over to the World of Corruption to pay his brother Dumon a visit. Gothica knocks on the door to Nash's study, seeing him and Dumon working as usual on paperwork.

"Come in!" Nash calls.

Gothica comes in, and Dumon is surprised to see his younger brother. "Hey, do you mind if I borrow my brother for a moment?"

"Go ahead," Nash says to Gothica then turns to Dumon. "I can handle the rest, so don't worry."

Dumon nods and gets up to see what Gothica wants. They step out of the room to talk.

"What is it that you need?" Dumon asks.

"I need your computer skills."

"What for?"

"I need you to design a virus that will disable security screens and door sensors."

Dumon looks at him shocked. "What are you trying to do, steal?!"

"Me, steal? Come now Dumon you should know me better than that."

"All right, what are you trying to get?"

"I'm trying to get an innocent person out of prison. My friend's brother is in prison just because he's a dark being. It's only a matter of time before he's executed, and when that happens my friend will become suicidal."

Dumon sighs. "Give me at least three days to make a program."

"Thanks *nīsan!" Gothica says and hugs him.

Dumon hugs him back. "Just promise me you won't get hurt."

"I promise I won't."

With that, they bid each other farewell. Gothica then goes to the Astral World, where he tries to convince Eliphas to watch over Black Mist. Eliphas agrees since he's already watching and trying to reform Dark. With everything set up now it's just a waiting game.

Astral finds himself coming back to the shop for the fifth time that day to see if Gothica is around. And he is around, but he's not conscious. He's asleep in his upstairs room. Astral senses him asleep and heads home, happy to know he's safe.

That night the Light Forces summon him as he's going to bed.

Astral finds himself in the pocket world as soon as his head hits the pillow. "Yes, my Leaders?"

"We understand that your brother is very precious to you. Isn't this right?" the Light Forces say without preamble.

Astral nods. "Yes, of course. Why do you ask?"

"We figured you would want to be the first to know, before the other Agents."

Astral gets a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Know what?"

"In three days' time, Number 96 Black Mist will be executed," the Light Forces say bluntly.

Astral is speechless for a long while, and during that time he sent back to his body. He wakes up with a jerk, dry heaving at the shock and still numb. Astral ends up being unable to sleep the rest of the night, crying and screaming into his pillow so the others won't hear him. By the time morning comes he's managed to tire himself out. He ends up sleeping in and throwing off his entire schedule.

Meanwhile, Gothica does his normal job at his shop, waiting for Astral to come by. Astral ends up coming by later than normal.

"What's wrong Astral?" Gothica whispers to him.

"He's going to die in three days..." Astral says with his head in his hands as he sits down on a pillow.

"Who's going to die?"

"M-my brother..." Astral says and breaks down crying again.

Gothica hugs him to trying calm him down. "You'll get through this and I'll be right here by your side when you need me," he whispers.

Astral hugs him back desperately. He just wants someone close to him right now. Gothica starts to rock from side to side and hums to help Astral calm down.

"I promise you Astral, you're not alone," he continues to whisper.

Astral shakes his head. "I will be. When he's gone, I'll have nothing to live for...!"

"That's not true. You have me. And I'll never leave your side."

Astral just cuddles into Gothica, not saying anything in response to what he said, but it's clear that he appreciates the sentiment. "I don't know what to do..."

"Just do what you have to do and I'll help you get through the aftermath as best as I can."

"But I can't see him die!"

"You may not have a choice, and if it were up to me he wouldn't be in that prison at all."

Astral bursts into tears again, his breathing picking up dangerously. "I can't I can't I can't-!"

"12 listen to me." Gothica grabs his shoulders. "You will get through this. You have me and your teammates to fall back on. We will help you."

"B-But... what if I have to do it? What if I have to kill him?!"

"I promise you, whatever happens I will be there for you."

Astral nods and hugs Gothica again.

Gothica hugs him back and says, "Just trust me Astral when I say that everything will be okay."

"Okay..."

"Now try to calm down."

Astral takes some deep breathes. It takes a while but he does eventually calm down. Gothica smiles softly as he sees his friend calm down. Astral is silent for a while then moves back when he's okay.

"I'm sorry about that..."

"Don't worry about it. My brother use to have meltdowns similar to this, so I know how to help."

Astral doesn't say much after this and just nods. After a while, Gothica sends him home to rest. He's getting worried because Dumon hasn't contacted him about the virus, but he keeps his cool.

It's the night before the execution day, and Gothic still hasn't heard from his brother, so he goes to bed. But he can't sleep, to worried that he won't be able to get Black Mist out in time. Luckily, in the middle of the night Dumon sends over a small flash drive with the virus on it through their lapis link. Gothica smiles when he gets the flash drive and quickly gets up to get dressed and writes a note to his brother saying he's a life saver. Once the note is sent off and he's dressed, he uses his magic to conceal himself then leaves the house, making his way to the Prison.

This time, the Prison is on high alert with all guards on duty since Black Mist's execution is tomorrow. This makes it nearly impossible to sneak in, but there's a small chance of success. Gothica smiles seemingly evilly as he taps into the power of his demon mark, making a thick fog roll in. The guards can barely see their hand in front of their face let alone each other. They tense and start locking the Prison down, assuming that the energy is corrupt since they can't feel it like the Agents can. They're more concerned with quarantining the fog, assuming it's coming from one of the Prisoners. The locking doors don't sway Gothica in the least, and he uses more of his demon abilities to slip past the guards outside and to remain undetected. With them distracted Gothica slips in unseen and stays out of site of the security screens while he makes his way to the control room.

The control room is the only thing that's not locked down, but no one is in there since the guards are all busy. Gothica slips into the control room and plugs in the flash drive. He uploads the virus to disable the security screens and the door sensors. Once Gothica is sure that everything has been disabled he goes to Black Mist's cell and opens the door with one of the light keys he made. The cell is pitch black, and the only visible parts of the Prisoner within are the one black eye and the green and red markings on his body. Black Mist lets out an animalistic growl and attacks Gothica with his tentacles; all Gothica does is up put a shield to keep the tentacles from reaching him.

"Please calm down, I'm not here to hurt you. I want to save you from being killed," Gothica says, speaking calmly to Black Mist.

Black Mist growls softly making his tentacles stand down for now.

"I know a place where you can be free from chains and cages. There you can have everything you've lost, and you might even make a friend or two. All you have to do is come with me."

Black Mist glares at him and pointedly yanks at the cuffs keeping him to the wall. So far he hasn't said a word, apart from growling and snarling. Still, he looks far from feral at the moment. His eyes shine with intelligence, even if that intelligence is alarmingly dull.

Gothica makes the second light key appear in his hands. "I need you to stay where I send you. I have a plan that will trick everyone into thinking they have gotten their way and that you are dead." He approaches Black Mist to unlock the cuffs.

Black Mist understands to a degree what needs to happen and stays still, though he keeps an eye on Gothica. He uses his tentacles to shut the door because even in his half-feral state he understands that any chaotic energy getting out will destroy his home. Gothica unlocks all the cuffs that are on Black Mist then reaches into his pocket and take out a dark crystal. He quickly implants specific instructions into the crystal so that when Black Mist touches it the plan goes the way he wants it. Black Mist looks at the crystal curiously.

"Take it," Gothica says.

Black Mist takes the crystal and looks it over. Right in front of his eyes, the crystal absorbs some of his energy then pulls away from him. It floats in the air for a moment before morphing into a perfect copy of him, complete with his power, energy, and even his sensitivity to light. The clone looks at Black Mist then at Gothica.

"You know what to do," Gothica says.

The clone nods and goes over to the cuffs and starts putting them on itself. The clone knows it's a clone and knows that its job is to replace Black Mist in the execution and be killed instead of him. Black Mist just looks at the clone, confusion obvious on his face.

"Play your part well, my crystal clone," Gothica says to the clone.

"Yes master," the clone replies.

"Now come with me, your new life awaits you." Gothica says and extends his hand out for Black Mist to take.

Black Mist takes his hand, seeming more docile now. Gothica uses his magic to make a portal to Astral World and gently pulls Black Mist in. By the time the Agents are called in Black Mist and Gothica are gone, and all signs of entry have been erased.

*In the Astral World*

As soon as they hit the bright city of Celestial Phoenix, Black Mist hisses and shades himself with some tentacles, which have liquefied and formed a shield around himself. Gothica, seeing his sensitivity to light, makes an edible crystal that will fix the problem.

"Here, take this. It'll make the light easier to deal with," he says, handing Black Mist a pinkish red crystal.

However, Black Mist covers his mouth and shakes his head, glaring at the crystal distrustfully.

"I promise it won't hurt, and it will taste like sweet candy."

Black Mist just growls dangerously. From the heated glare he's giving the crystal, there's no way he will consent to eating it.

Still, maybe one more push. "I understand your mistrust, but you have no reason to be so fearful now." When Mist shakes his head again this time with a snarl, Gothica forces himself to give up. "Alright. Come with me and I'll show you to your new home." Gothica leads Black Mist to the tower.

Black Mist follows him, bristling and on high alert now that he's somewhere new, somewhere that's not the small room he's been confined to his entire life. He makes a shield around himself like a three-sided box, making a closed space around himself. He managed to settle after that. Eventually they get to the tower where they hear Eliphas telling Dark to come down, to which Dark completely ignores and stays up on a high windowsill.

While Gothica talks with Eliphas, Dark looks down and catches a glimpse of Black Mist. Deciding to be a little friendly, he waves with a small smile. However Black Mist just flinches, hunches in on himself and mumbles something about being trapped. Dark doesn't answer, disheartened by the rejection.

"Welcome to Astral World Black Mist," Eliphas says softly to get Black Mist's attention. "You're free to explore if you want and Dark here can help you with anything you need."

Black Mist mumbles something under his breath and pulls his shield tighter, clearly uncomfortable with so many people in the room with him. Lifelong isolation can do that to somebody.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it here," Eliphas assures, but it's like speaking to a brick wall.

"Oh and before I go, make sure to tell him about you-know-who when he is more...competent, so to speak," Gothica says.

Eliphas nods. "I will. Now go home and get some sleep."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Gothica looks to Black Mist one last time, just to make sure he'll be alright, before leaving him in the care of Eliphas and Dark.

Eliphas puts Dark in charge of caring for Black Mist, who became painfully tense as soon as the one person who showed him charity left, and left to do his own work. Seeing to try and give him the most freedom possible, Dark gives Black Mist the choice to go wherever he wants. However, the poor Number just makes a box around himself and huddles into the familiar enclosure and darkness. Dark ended up spending that day trying to coax Black Mist out of his box.

Eventually, after a while of trying, he offers something he didn't quite think would work. "Would you like some food?" Dark asked.

The curtain of goo parted, and a pair of mismatched eyes peeked out at him, squinting against the light. "Eat what?" his voice was hoarse from disuse, and he clearly didn't quite remember how to talk, but it was progress and Dark would take it.

Dark smiled. "Follow me, and I'll get you something to eat." He held out his hand, an offering for more than just food.

Black Mist eyed the hand warily, but he took it anyways. The days pass in the World of Purity, and all too soon, it's the day of execution. Three Light Agents, one of which is Agent 12, lead a snarling and growling Prisoner to the guillotine. The likeness was that of the former Prisoner, and any test on it would prove that this was in fact Black Mist. However, unlike everyone else, one person knew this was a crystal clone. Tasked to accept the fate of Number 96 Black Mist.

The crystal clone's head is forced into the block by the other two Agents while Agent 12 watches impassively. He's calm, composed, and fresh out of a panic session shortly before the execution. To the rest of the world, he appears as the impassive Agent they'd become familiar with. To Gothica, who was in the crowd gathered, he was a friend forced to watch what would of been his friend's own brother getting killed. And that friend would likely be the one pulling the trigger. The people are silent, some eager to see a threat go and some sad to see a life end. Gothica is neither as he silently watches this ceremony.

Agent 12 leans over to the Prisoner's ear and whispers something in his ear, something Gothica can't hear from his place in the crowd. In response, the Prisoner growls and thrashes. A small frown can be seen on Agent 12's face, but he just nods and puts a hand on the lever that will bring the blade down on Black Mist's neck. He turns away in a last-minute act of cowardice, pulls sharply, and the blade falls before anyone can blink. The head of the Prisoner rolls into the basket at the bottom. The crowd cheers.

Shaking his head, though Gothica knows this is for everyone's survival by now, he heads back to his home to see if everything has gone to plan. He doesn't plan on sticking around to see the body be carted off.

The next time he sees Astral, it's the evening of the same day. Gothica quickly goes to greet him, noting the red eyes and stuttering breath.

"Hey, how are you holding up?" Gothica asks Astral, looking worried about Astral's mental health.

Astral sniffs, trying to hold back tears. "Terrible..." he says. He's shaking and looks traumatized beyond belief. Gothica closes down his shop for today to focus on helping Astral. His friend needs his attention more than anyone else right now.

"I know it must be hard losing your brother," Gothica says. "I used to have to watch my brother hurt himself because he felt useless and unloved, even though there were others around him that cared. No matter what I did to try and help him, he always felt worthless. That is until the day he met the young man that is now his husband. He made my brother feel loved and wanted. Let me be that person for you Astral."

Astral wants that, he so desperately want that. But his job won't allow it. "I can't..." he says and starts tearing up for probably the millionth time that day.

"We don't have to be a couple. We can just be really close friends, you need someone to talk to about this that understands to some degree what you're going through. It's not healthy to be keeping all of this bottled up inside. Beside what people don't know won't hurt them."

Astral nods to this. He just wants to forget about today and not worry about it. But the weight of what he just did today sits heavy on him, and it's all he can think about. Gothica tries everything he can think of to help Astral deal with this without getting too close to him or telling him the truth about his brother. Eventually, Astral just ends up spending the day curled up with a pillow, on and off crying. When he isn't crying he staring off with a distant look in his eyes. Gothica can't bear to see Astral like this, it pains him to see someone he cares about feel so distraught. It makes him feel helpless, like when his brother Dumon was going through something like this. He hugs and cradles Astral like a mother would to try and make him feel better.

Astral immediately latches onto him, as if his life depended on it. "You're all I have..." he whimpers, and the guilt claws at Gothica because Black Mist is still alive. But how can he tell him that? According to the files, Astral is constantly monitored. This secret could get out if he ever tells.

"And I'll never leave you," Gothica whispers into his ear instead.

Astral smiles gratefully at Gothica. Right now he doesn't care that he has duties to attend to. He only became an Agent because he was the only one protecting his brother. Now that he's gone, he couldn't care less if he's let go.

 _Maybe I'll even be able to be with_ _Gothica_ _._ Astral thinks to himself.

"I'll always be with you, no matter what happens." Gothica smiles at him.

Astral nods and just stays in Gothica's arms. "Thank you."

"This is what friends are for, my precious gem."

The day passes in the same way, and no one is aware that they killed a clone. Astral ends up spending the night with Gothica, who's more the happy to let him stay, holding him close while he sleeps. Astral wakes up the next morning in a sort of depressive state. He's just dreamed about his brother yelling at him from the afterlife, and he can't quite get it out of his head. Gothica wants so badly to tell him the truth but he doesn't, not wanting to take the risk of the Light Forces finding out.

"I want to leave here..." Astral says

"Like leave this world? Gothica asks.

Astral nods. "But I can't. I have a duty here, but I can't help but think that everything's worthless now that Mist is gone."

"Well you're not worthless to me, and if you really want to leave... I might be able to help you with that."

Astral perks up, both intrigued and concerned. "Wh-What?"

"Forget it, I don't want to get you in trouble." Gothica is scared to tell Astral the truth about him really being a demon.

"Wait, are you saying there's an open portal leading here?" Now Astral is getting scared because an open portal could only mean that chaos has been steadily trickling in for a while. It could mean the end of his world, the end of everything he's ever known!

"No, there's no open portal. But..."

"But what?"

Gothic gently pulls away from him and looks down sadly, "I know it's your duty to capture corrupted beings, so I'm sorry. But I belong in that Prison."

Astral jerks back, alarmed. He first makes sure that the Light Forces can't read his thoughts before quickly examining Gothica's energy. However... "You don't feel corrupt, you feel neutral. Neutral people don't belong in the Prison."

Gothica gently takes Astral's hand and puts it on his chest, he slowly and carefully releases some of his true energy but only so Astral can feel it. "I have absolute control over my power and I would never hurt innocent people."

Astral eyes widen, more out of fascination than anger or fear. Using some of his own power he makes sure none of it leaks out into the environment or into him. It's enough to distract him from his grief, and it's the first thing that's made him genuinely curious outside of missions. His eyes light up with such intrigue that Gothica can't help but smile. "Fascinating!" Astral exclaims. "And you can just do that? It doesn't take any effort? I mean, it mustn't considering you've been here for a while. And to think I've never noticed!"

"So, you're not going to arrest me?"

Astral shrugs. "I probably should, but there's no point since you're no threat at all." He grimaces. "Although... now I really can't stay. It's only a matter of time until the Leaders find you out from me. I'm kept on constant watch, probably now more than before..." The grief comes back tenfold.

"But I'm not your average run-of-the-mill dark being, I can sever the connection between you and the Leaders. I know a place we can go to that they'll never be able to reach. They'd either have to be dead or be what I am to get there. And I'll admit, you're so much more than just a friend to me Astral. You don't make me feel helpless like when I was trying to help my brother."

Astral hugs him tightly "Then do it, let's get out of here."

"Is there anything you would like to take before we go?"

Astral shakes his head no. Gothica nods and quickly gathers and packs away his things.

"This might hurt but it's the only way to cut the connection." He puts his hand on Astral's head and severs the connection to the Light Forces.

Astral cries out in pain and shock. He can feel the Light Forces growing alarmed just before the connection was cut. "They know, we have to hurry!"

Gothica takes Astral to one of the back open rooms where he lets his power out. A dark purple glowing aura surrounds him, and he takes on his Lesser Demon form. Horns that curve to one side then stick straight up grow out of his head, his dark hazel brown eyes turn to a bright and ominous gold and a pair of black feathery wings grow out of his back. He also makes a dark glowing purple seal appear on the floor.

"Next stop, the Underworld," he says. He wraps an arm around Astral then silently contacts his brother Embers to go bring Black Mist to the Underworld if he's competent enough and won't attack Astral. Embers does as he is told.

"I have a surprise for you down in the Underworld my precious little gem," Gothica says as they start sinking into the floor.

Astral smiles a bit, but doesn't dare hope for the impossible. In the Astral World, Black Mist has made some progress with Dark even though he still lashes out during high emotions. Sometimes, he manages to stop himself before he has a full meltdown. Embers appears before the both of them.

"Hello there you two," Embers calls to get their attention.

"What brings you here Embers?" Dark asks.

"I would like you two to come with me to the Underworld to meet up with Gothica and his friend."

Dark looks to Black Mist, having an idea on who Gothica's friend is. "Would you like to see your brother again?" he asks Black Mist.

Black Mist twitches at the mention of his brother but nods. Embers takes Dark and Black Mist back to the mansion in the Underworld to wait for Gothica and Astral to arrive.

Gothica flies both of them to the Seraph family mansion and they land out front of the mansion where the maids and servants greet them.

A maid bows to show respect and says, "Welcome home Master Gothica, Master Embers is waiting inside with the guests you requested."

"Good," Gothica says and leads Astral inside, going back to his normal human looking appearance. Astral himself nearly faints from all the chaos in the air, but he puts his training to good use to make sure that doesn't happen.

Gothica leads Astral to the living where they find Embers, Dark and Black Mist. When they make it to the living room, Astral literally stops dead in his tracks, speechless. The moment Black Mist sees Astral, he lets out a growl from the back of his throat but he doesn't lash out.

"Ah yes, your dear brother Black Mist. As you can see Astral, he's alive and well."

Astral this time faints, overwhelmed with the turn of events. Gothica catches him before he falls.

"What that supposed to happen?" Embers asks.

"Um, no."

Black Mist can't help but giggle at this. "Guess he missed me."

"Or it's the shock that he realizes you're not dead after all. I'll move him to the Astral World to recover, you both are welcome to come back with me," Gothica says.

"I'll go." Dark says and looks to Mist to see what he's going to do.

Black Mist looks confused. "What do you mean dead?"

"Remember that clone that was made out of the dark crystal?"

Black Mist nods.

"The day after I came to get you, you were supposed to be executed. But the clone I replaced you with got killed instead of you and everyone, including Astral, thinks you're dead," Gothica says and motions for Dark and Black Mist to follow him back to the Astral World.

Black Mist is shocked to hear that he was literally going to die, as he follows Dark back to the Astral World. His mind is miles away. Once in the Astral World Gothica leads everyone to the tower. Once there, he tells Mist and Dark they are free to do as they please while he goes to the infirmary. Laying Astral down on one of the beds and taking a seat next to him holding his hand. Astral wakes up soon after and squeezes his hand, and Gothica smiles at seeing him awake.

"How are you feeling?" he whispers.

"I don't know." Astral says and quickly sits up. "Please tell me I didn't imagine it."

"What, you're brother being alive?" Gothica smiles.

Astral nods. "He is, isn't he? Please say he is, I don't think I'd be able to handle it if I imagined it!"

"He's alive, the night before the execution I switched him with a crystal clone."

Astral hugs Gothica. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Gothica hugs Astral back. "You're welcome. I told you that everything was going to be okay didn't I?"

Astral nods and smiles, just so happy that his brother is going to be alright.

"I'm glad that you're happy. It's nice to see the light in your eyes."

"I can hardly remember being this happy, you're amazing!"

Gothica smiles and hugs Astral again. "I love you Astral," he whispers into his ear softly.

Astral jumps a bit but smiles back. He doesn't say "I love you" back, but that's because he's always been afraid to say it to anyone else but his brother.

Gothica can sense his fear but isn't worried about hearing those three words. "Relax, no one is going to yell at you." He pulls away just enough to see Astral's face but his arms are resting on his shoulders.

Astral whines not wanting to separate.

"What are we wanting whining about~?" Gothica says, his face going closer to his.

"N-nothing," Astral says with a blush and buries his face into Gothica's neck.

This makes Gothica giggle and say, "Don't hide that pretty face from me~"

Astral mumbles shyly, "I love you too."

Gothica gently moves Astral's head so he's looking at him. "Will you stay with me?" He asks. His dark hazel brown eyes meet mismatched eyes of white and gold.

Astral smiles and nods. "Of course, on my honor."

Gothica sighs in content and kisses Astral passionately. He kisses back just as passionately, his heart bursting with joy.

The End~

**Author's Note:**

> *Nīsan: means brother in Japanese


End file.
